Georgia State Sport Clubs Represented at 3 National Championships

The Department of Recreational Services sponsored three Sport Clubs to attend their respective National Championships this spring. The three clubs that participated in National Championship tournaments were Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club, Paintball Club, & Rock Climbing Club.

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Club participated in the Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championships in Irvine, California March 11-15. The club practices four hours a week in the Student Recreation Center, but added three additional practices at an off-campus facility a month leading up to the competition to prepare for the event. The club has participated in tournaments throughout this year in the Atlanta Area. However, this was the first appearance the club has made in this National level tournament. The participating members were An Vu, Armin Mirzakhanlou, Fidele Tuyishime, and Jonelle Lafian. The club had a couple top finishes in their respective divisions. Jonelle Lafian placed first overall in her women’s division and An Vu placed 2nd overall in his men’s division.

The Rock Climbing Club competed in the Collegiate Climbing Series National Championships at the Mesa Rim Climbing Center in San Diego, California April 17-19. This was the second consecutive National Championship appearance for the club. The club practices four hours a week at the Student Recreation Center and attended various competitions across the Southeast to prepare for the event. The participating members for this year’s tournament were James Le, Michelle Villarimo, Serena Lee, and Tibor Nagy. The team finished 33rd overall. Serena Lee finished in 24th overall in the Bouldering Division and Tibor Nagy finished 15th overall in the Sport Division.

The Paintball Club made their 4th straight appearance at the National Paintball Championships in Lakeland, Florida April 17-19. The club practices at Nitro Paintball in Canton, Georgia and Prime Paintball in Leeds, Alabama to prepare for the event. The participating club members were Zach Russell, Vince Martinez, Christian Stephanos, Carter Watts, Bryan Lee, Darryl Robinson, Ross Terrell, and Kalain Zorda. The club finished 14th out of 52 teams. The club lost in the Round of 16 match to the University of Buffalo.

Congratulations to all three clubs on these accomplishments and representing Georgia State University!